North Korean Secrecy On Bomb Test Fuels Speculation On Nuclear Advances -- Washington Post
U.S. officials and independent experts say North Korea appears to have taken unusual steps to conceal details about the nuclear weapon it tested in February, fuelingsuspicions that its scientists shifted to a bomb design that uses highly enriched uranium as the core.
At least two separate analyses of the Feb. 12 detonation confirmed that the effects of the blast were remarkably well contained, with few radioactive traces escaping into the atmosphere — where they could be detected — according to U.S. officials and weapons experts who have studied the data.
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MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS
S. Korean military to prepare with U.S. for cyber warfare scenarios -- Yonhap News
US F-22 fighter jets set to join South Korea military exercise -- NBC
Air Force says B-2 mission over South Korea cost $2.1M -- Stars and Stripes/AP
Taiwan president warns on China spying -- Financial Times
Indonesia’s Big Procurement Push Is Aided By Lenders -- Defense News
Russian Military Begins Spring Call-Up -- Radio Free Europe
Russian Navy Develops New Mini Submarines -- RIA Novosti
Russia Dismisses Georgia’s Concerns over Black Sea Drills -- RIA Novosti
China curbs military’s luxury cars -- Washington Post
Taiwan adds patrol ships amid tensions -- Stars and Stripes/The Yomiuri Shimbun
Peru to Buy 24 Russian Helicopters – Media -- RIA Novosti
Russia to Deliver First Kilo Class Sub to Vietnam in 2013 -- RIA Novosti
South African military says 5 killed in crash of helicopter on anti-rhino patrol in game park -- Washington Post/AP
U.K. Privatized Procurement Moves Forward -- Defense News
Britain's Labour urged not to back downgrading of Trident -- The Guardian
Navy Contract Will Produce Missiles for Germany -- Defense Tech
Portugal Rattled as U.S. Military Pares Back -- Wall Street Journal
Another 12 Ospreys headed to Japan in July, bound for Futenma -- Japan Times
Hagel Warns of Big Squeeze at the Pentagon -- New York Times
U.S. Military Cargo Removal From Afghanistan To Cost $5B to $6B -- Defense News
U.S. deploys stealth fighter jets to South Korea -- CNN
Outgoing Lockheed F-35 Chief Reflects on Program -- Defense News
Photo: F-35B successfully completes AIM-120 separation -- Navair
Doomed US Navy ship removed from Philippine reef -- Stars and Stripes/AP
Philippines Presses For Payment Over Damaged Reef -- Defense News/AFP
Army wants to ground heavy training pilots -- Stars and Stripes/AP
U.S. Lawmakers: CIA Should Keep Armed UAVs -- Defense News
War Game Exposes Gaps for U.S. Army -- Defense News
Woman among those under consideration to lead FBI -- Washington Post
Female soldiers breaking new ground in combat roles in the Army and Fort Bragg -- Stars and Stripes/The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer
The military's sexual assault epidemic -- The Week
Sail Army! The unknown career field of US Army mariners -- Stars and Stripes
Once feared, redevelopment of Myrtle Beach Air Force Base has been resounding success -- McClatchy News
Thresher submarine tragedy to be recalled 50 years later -- Stars and Stripes/The New Hampshire Union Leader
Budget cuts hurt schools in military communities hard -- CBS
The U.S. Military Needs to Listen – Not Just Talk -- Mark Thompson, Battleland/Time
Are Drone Strikes Killing Terrorists or Creating Them? -- Hassan Abbas, The Atlantic
How to neutralize China’s military threat -- James A. Lyons, Washington Times
Let’s All Stop Saying ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ Forever -- Spencer Ackerman, Danger Room
An Iraq War Planner Reflects on Lessons Learned -- Col. Kevin Benson, USA (Ret.), Time
Why We Still Need To Stop Sequestration -- Mark D. Shackelford and Rebeccah Heinrichs, Aol Defense